LifePointe Churchhttp://sharethelife.org
Sunday Worship @ 9:30amSun, 02 Aug 2015 15:00:40 +0000en-UShourly1Back to Tokyohttp://sharethelife.org/2015/08/02/back-to-tokyo/
http://sharethelife.org/2015/08/02/back-to-tokyo/#commentsSun, 02 Aug 2015 15:00:40 +0000http://sharethelife.org/?p=5361Read More]]>We made it! Dear family and friends, this is coming to you from the Summit House in Hibarigaoka. Wilaiwan, Josiah, and I took the Shinkansen (the bullet train).

A whole bunch of Zao Church members came to send us off at the train station. They even came to the platform to send us off and ran after the train waving. I miss them already, all of them.

Kazuki, if you’re reading this, thank you so much for sticking with us and translating for us. Pastor Ken, you are amazing and we will keep you in our hearts and will continue to pray for you and Zao Church. Akie, you made me happy everyday with your warm hugs and smiling face. I would keep going, but there are too many of you (and I can’t remember all your names.) I love you all and can’t wait to see you all again!

The train was almost like a plane ride with nice cushioned reclining chairs and fold out table, except it was better because it had more leg room than a plane. We slept and played games and got off at the right place, took the right trains, and found our way back to the Summit House without incident. Pretty smooth trip, pretty boring. Josiah wanted to get us lost on purpose to have a story to tell but thank goodness that didn’t happen.

We hope to share more pictures with you once we get back to the United States. We are all very tired and ready to come home while at the same time we are sorry to say good-bye to the people and country of Japan.

]]>http://sharethelife.org/2015/08/02/back-to-tokyo/feed/0Mount Zao and Colorado Nighthttp://sharethelife.org/2015/08/01/mount-zao-and-colorado-night/
http://sharethelife.org/2015/08/01/mount-zao-and-colorado-night/#commentsSat, 01 Aug 2015 15:00:35 +0000http://sharethelife.org/?p=5357Read More]]>As we near the end of our journey, we are all very tired. This morning we went to Mount Zao, a local, semi-active, volcanic crater which has a lake in the crater. It was a gorgeous site and the surrounding mountain ranges are also very beautiful and lush.

Afterwards, we got to try soba noodles, which for most of us was our first time. It would be an understatement to say we have been well-fed these two weeks in Japan.

This evening, we hosted a Colorado-themed dinner with BBQ hot dogs and smores. Everyone had fun doing the Hokey Pokey, the Cha Cha Slide, and the Macarena again. Then, Janet taught square dancing, which was loads of fun.

Because some people have to work in the morning, we had to say our final goodbyes to some members of the church. We hope that we can come back and see them again in the future.

This post was written at 11:00 pm on August 1, 2015, in Yamagata City, Japan. We will be posting more pictures in the days to come, but right now we are focusing on packing for Tokyo and eventually the flight home.

]]>http://sharethelife.org/2015/08/01/mount-zao-and-colorado-night/feed/0Day Two in Higashi Matsushimahttp://sharethelife.org/2015/07/31/day-two-in-higashi-matsushima/
http://sharethelife.org/2015/07/31/day-two-in-higashi-matsushima/#commentsFri, 31 Jul 2015 22:00:03 +0000http://sharethelife.org/?p=5354Read More]]>Today was the second day of Higashi Matsushima English Day Camp, and we did crafts. Whitney, Josiah, Megan, and I all had our own craft stations. We had seven kids, two mothers, and two grandmothers, all of whom enjoyed making the different crafts. We all had a lot of fun together.

Angie, a mother of two of the kids that came, made Japanese-style pizza for lunch today. Half of the pizza had tomato sauce with sausage and egg while the other half had a local white cheese sauce with spinach, mushroom, and shrimp. It was really good; I loved it!

After lunch, we toured the surrounding areas and went to a fishing town. The area is considered one of the top three most beautiful places to visit in Japan. When we got back to Yamagata, we went to our last Onsen.

The people here are very generous and have a special place in my heart. I hope that the church will continue to reach out to the people in Yamagata and Higashi Matsushima and that the people will open their heart for the Lord.

]]>http://sharethelife.org/2015/07/31/day-two-in-higashi-matsushima/feed/0Out of the Stormhttp://sharethelife.org/2015/07/31/out-of-the-storm/
http://sharethelife.org/2015/07/31/out-of-the-storm/#commentsFri, 31 Jul 2015 15:00:38 +0000http://sharethelife.org/?p=5345Read More]]>As we neared Higashi Matsushima the desolation came into view. The area is not so much defined by what is here, but by what is missing. The beautiful Japanese countryside and farms are only just starting to recover. A town that used to have over 400 houses now only has around 30 homes.

We took a quick drive around the very small town and then arrived at the FamilyMart—a convenience store—where we worked with the children. Before the children arrived, however, we waited and looked at pictures that covered the walls of the lobby. It is very sobering to see all the destruction that came on March 11, 2011.

Around 2:46 pm a 9.0 magnitude undersea earthquake occurred off the coast of Japan. In response, many of the townspeople of Higashi Matsushima went to the elementary school gymnasium to be safe from any aftershocks.

In just 6 minutes, the tsunami brought enough destruction across Japan to kill almost 16,000 and over 2,000 are still missing. When the tsunami waves came into Higashi Matsushima, it created a whirlpool in the gym, swirling the people around and killing hundreds.

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.

Hebrews 12:12-13 (ESV)

In the midst of the realization of our surroundings, the children that we worked with are just as happy and energetic as the children in Yamagata. We played some circle games, musical chairs, and card games. Then, we helped make curry for dinner.

After dinner, we took the kids down to the beach. Here in Japan, they have a game similar to our piñata game, except they play with a watermelon. After all the kids tried hitting the watermelon open, the adults started giving it a try, and Wi was able to deal the crushing blow. Luckily the watermelon was in a plastic bag so the guts didn’t splash everywhere. We enjoyed the watermelon while looking out to sea, seeing the full moon reflected on the water.

Kazuki and the other Japanese adults started handing out sparklers to all the children and then we lit the bigger stuff. It was really fun to be there with all the children and see how much fun they were having.

A local man, Hirata San, and his family invited the whole team to stay in his home. The house was two stories and very big compared to the other houses in the area. While they have repaired the house and have curated a large, beautiful garden, the family has “too much sorrow in their hearts” to return and live there permanently. Instead, he comes back once or twice a week and welcomes volunteers into his home. He likes being outdoors and teaching children that they can enjoy swimming, kayaking, and playing in the ocean while maintaining a healthy fear of it.

It is hard to believe that after today we only have 3 days left in Japan, and I am so glad to have participated in so much. I have come to love the people, the country, and the language. I will truly miss the Zao Church and its members. I will continue to pray that God can use them to great things for Yamagata and throughout Japan.

This post was written throughout the day on July 30, 2015, and completed at 9:50 am July 31 in Higashi Matsushima, an area affected by the 2011 tsunami.

]]>http://sharethelife.org/2015/07/31/out-of-the-storm/feed/0Japanese Jumblehttp://sharethelife.org/2015/07/29/japanese-jumble/
http://sharethelife.org/2015/07/29/japanese-jumble/#commentsWed, 29 Jul 2015 16:22:28 +0000http://sharethelife.org/?p=5337Read More]]>Today was a jumble of singing, dancing, obstacle courses and games. It was a trying experience for our last remaining ounces of energy. Thankfully, we were all stocked up on sushi from last night.

After a hectic but fun day with children, we got to go to a nice green tea place called Sakura, which actually means cherry. We had green tea— matcha—flavored shaved ice, ice cream, cake, and jello. It was delicious!

Then, we made a return trip to a Daiso. After the first time to Daiso, we shared with each other what we bought, and some of us were disappointed that we didn’t get some of the things that our teammates had gotten. So, this trip, we purchased items we had missed the first time.

Members from the church have been inviting us into their homes for dinner, and tonight was a night when we got to enjoy Japanese homemade food. Matt, Missions Director, and I went to Kazuki’s and Asami’s apartment. Asami made a traditional Japanese dinner with miso soup, meat wrapped tofu, rice, and chopped veggies. It was amazing.

After walking back to the church, we joined Kazuki and Asami in a Bible study where we prayed, sang songs in Japanese, and responded to the sermon from Sunday. It was really nice to hear the Japanese people’s take on the chapter and pray with them.

Tomorrow morning we will be going to Higashi Matsushima to make crafts, play games, and sing songs with the kids from families that survived the tsunami.

Higashi Matsushima means “pine tree islands.” These islands were hit hard by the tsunami; the water swept over the islands on the way to the coast and then drained back over the islands.

We are going to help encourage these people, bring God’s love, and teach conversational English. Please pray for a smooth and safe trip and that we can share God’s love to these people.

This post was originally written right before midnight on July 29 in Yamagata, Japan. The team may not have internet access in Higashi Matsushima. If this is the case, the July 30 post and the August 1 post will be posted on August 1.

Editor’s Note: Matt is feeling much better than he did Tuesday night. He wants to thank everyone for their support through prayer and encouragement.

I hit “play” on my iPad, and all the kids and their mothers came running to dance the Hokey Pokey again. They all put their right hand in and shook them all about, and the mothers were just as excited as the kids. I was encouraged, and I jumped right in with them, even with little sleep and not in the best health.

Yesterday, I got a sore throat and a little congestion. I had a hard time sleeping because I woke up several times unable to breathe (I had closed my mouth). But I refused to let that keep me from ministering to the children here, and I threw on a mask. Still, easier said than done, as the medication I am taking is drowsy medication.

Seeing all these children with such joy and excitement replenished my spirit and re-energized me. It kept me going through the morning as we made paracord bracelets, stress balls from balloons and flour, braided strings, bookmarks, and wordless gospel keychains. And it kept me going as we taught the Cha Cha Slide and the Macarena among others.

I also greatly enjoyed holding the little Japanese baby boy that I have become friends with. I was able to hold him and put him to sleep, and I may have gotten a few winks myself.

After our classes today, we went to another sushi place that has a conveyor belt delivery system, although there was no English menu like there was in Tokyo. Pastor Ken kept recommending and ordering his favorites for us, and all of them were good. One of them was sea urchin, which has more of a pasty texture than a traditional fish texture. I liked it and trying new things is exciting, but I have found that I fall back on salmon and tuna.

After the sushi, we went to another Onsen—a natural hot springs bath house—with Pastor Ken and Janet up in the Yamagata mountains. It wasn’t as hot as the first Onsen we went to, which was actually more bearable.

It was a little more difficult going with Pastor Ken than with Kazuki because his English is more limited, but we still had a great fellowship time. It was interesting to see Pastor Ken speaking to another Japanese man that he and we didn’t know.

This made me think about how these bath houses could be a great opportunity to build relationships with neighbors in our community and Lance, Josiah, and I joked that we should start one in Fort Collins. As Janet described it to me, as the clothes go off, their masks and reservations often are removed as well.

I hope to go to bed earlier tonight and get a refreshing sleep and hopefully be healed of my sickness. In order to do that, however, I should stop writing. But I want to give a huge thank-you of support, encouragement, and prayers from everyone back home. I hope that through these blog articles we can show you not only the work that God is doing in Japan and in our lives, but also be a way to show how grateful we are for our readers and supporters back home.

This article was originally written at 11:24 pm on July 28 in Yamagata, Japan. More pictures to come tomorrow.

]]>http://sharethelife.org/2015/07/28/hokey-pokey/feed/0Love One Anotherhttp://sharethelife.org/2015/07/27/love-one-another/
http://sharethelife.org/2015/07/27/love-one-another/#commentsMon, 27 Jul 2015 15:19:02 +0000http://sharethelife.org/?p=5319Read More]]>After reading 1 John 3:11-24, I wonder if we, as believers, really know what loving one another really means. It is easier to say than to practice.

Love is an action! Love is meant to be given away, not to be kept to ourselves. Jesus loves us so much that He gave His life on the cross for us. This was and remains the greatest act of love in the whole world; nothing can compare to His love for us.

The Bible says that we must love each other in action. So, help us, Lord, for we need to learn how to love.

We tend to place conditions when we love someone: “I will love you if you ____________” or “I love you because you __________.”

Sometimes we love because we hope to receive love from another, but love is something to be given. When we love someone, we give away a little piece of ourselves, and God replenishes us with His love.

Father God, please help us to love another in deed and in truth. Amen!

This post was originally written at 9:30 am on July 27 at the Zao Church in Yamagata, Japan.

]]>http://sharethelife.org/2015/07/27/love-one-another/feed/0The Greatest of these is Lovehttp://sharethelife.org/2015/07/26/the-greatest-of-these-is-love/
http://sharethelife.org/2015/07/26/the-greatest-of-these-is-love/#commentsSun, 26 Jul 2015 17:00:41 +0000http://sharethelife.org/?p=5307Read More]]>As I opened my eyes this morning I remembered where I was… in a home that was willing to open up and host Whitney and I. The hospitality was so sweet and welcoming, even as we struggled with a language barrier, they found ways to love us in their own way.

As we left and headed to Zao church I thought of how they expressed to us how courageous we were to travel to Japan not knowing much Japanese, and all I could think is how courageous they are to be faithful Christians in their country… would I be so brave if my story was theirs?

Sundays at Zao church are full. First, we participated in Sunday School where we got to work with a handful of kids singing songs, playing duck-duck-goose, and I shared my testimony with them. They had a short lesson and said a memory verse and even the 2-year-olds recited the verse.

After Sunday School, we went to the morning worship service. The team and I introduced ourselves and we sang In Christ Alone (in English). Josiah shared his testimony, and Missions Director gave a sermon on 1 Corinthians 13 titled Love for One Another. He delivered a great sermon in English and Kazuki translated it for the Zao church members.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul tells us to “let love be your highest goal.” We all have received much love from all the Japanese people we have met, and we are only half-way through our trip.

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NLT)

An attribute of God, and the only one of the three that will remain necessary in heaven, love truly is the greatest. When faith and hope are in line, you are free to love completely because you understand how God loves.

After morning service and fellowship, Kazuki’s family gave us the opportunity to taste a Yamagata specialty: cold ramen, which was so cold that it came with ice cubes! It was good for a hot day. Mushi atsui! We then headed back to evening service where Wilaiwan shared her testimony and Missions Director preached once more.

To end the day we all went to a bathhouse that had several types of pools to sit in. One of them had carbonated water, causing bubbles to cling to your skin. Each bathhouse gives us further understanding of the Japanese culture and a glimpse into their deep relationships.

This post was originally written at 10:30 pm on Sunday, July 26, at Zao Church in Yamagata, Japan.

]]>http://sharethelife.org/2015/07/26/the-greatest-of-these-is-love/feed/0Day Two at Kinshukohttp://sharethelife.org/2015/07/25/day-two-at-kinshuko/
http://sharethelife.org/2015/07/25/day-two-at-kinshuko/#commentsSat, 25 Jul 2015 15:00:58 +0000http://sharethelife.org/?p=5296Read More]]>Water everywhere. An evening at the onsen: beside a rushing river, a hot shower and soak in natural hot spring baths. I fell asleep to the rain. I woke up to the rain.

This morning, we dodged spurts of rain to bring in mattresses and sheets to the beds we set up yesterday. Since it was rainy and muddy outside, we stayed inside where Taka Sensei taught us how to make our own chopsticks as a souvenir. His children helped us; his son wrote our names in Japanese on the wood.

Did I mention the wonderful breakfast and dinner? It was amazing; all the food was amazing. Everyone at Kinshuko was so generous, kind, and welcoming. They were so happy to know that we still remember them, so thankful we came to help even for just a day and are excited for more groups to come from LifePointe in the future.

We are now headed back to Yamagata. The team will drop off Megan and I to stay with a couple from the church for the night while everyone else will continue on to Zao. Tomorrow, we will begin the English classes with the children, after listening to Lance give his sermon on 1 Corinthians 13:13. Throughout the day, four us of will give our testimonies. Please pray that all of those go well, that we won’t get nervous, and that God will give us the right things to say.

This post was originally written at 1:40 pm on July 25, 2015, on the road from Kinshuko to Yamagata.

]]>http://sharethelife.org/2015/07/25/day-two-at-kinshuko/feed/0Kinshuko, Bunk beds, and an Onsenhttp://sharethelife.org/2015/07/24/kinshuko-bunk-beds-and-an-onsen/
http://sharethelife.org/2015/07/24/kinshuko-bunk-beds-and-an-onsen/#commentsFri, 24 Jul 2015 15:01:20 +0000http://sharethelife.org/?p=5291Read More]]>The day started out with a bang! Wi, Megan, Whit, and Janet strolled in for breakfast as I was trying to put in the finishing touches on my sermon for Sunday. There was too much noise and ruckus to concentrate, so it was time to start the day, and I told myself I would “put it off until later.”

Now it is later and I want to go to bed after a long but productive day. Alas, the powers that be are knocking on my door, so I am trying to manage a joyful face and a glad heart, by the grace of God. He works wonders you know.

It is really not that bad! It’s just that we ended our day by attending a Japanese onsen, which is a hot springs bath. The water was about 120+ degrees and as such my brain is moving very slowly and my first layer of skin is gone. So writing a blog post is the last thing I wanted to do, but it is right and necessary. I still have a sermon to finish too, on top of it all.

Once we got going, we drove about three hours and about 136 miles north of Yamagata City to a little town called Nishiwaga. Nishiwaga is where Kinshuko Bible Camp is located. It is an absolutely beautiful country here, with lush green forests, and mountains covered in mist from the rain and humidity.

We drove through what seemed like hundreds of tunnels, with some of them over 2 ½ miles long. Instead of going around the mountains like we do in Colorado they just go through them. It was explained to me that the mountains are made up of more loose material from the volcanic activity and so it is safer to tunnel through the mountains than to build roads around them.

Aspen Tree planted as a memorial to Jim Weber

Camp Kinshuko was begun in the 1950s by Jim and Dottie Weber, a place that LifePointe has supported through the Webers for many years.

There is an aspen tree that was planted here in honor of Jim after his death several years ago. The camp is currently run by Japanese, is thriving, and they are constructing a new meeting house with sleeping quarters. They hope to be completed with the construction by sometime in September of this year.

So dressed in our grubbies, for dirty work, we were here to expend some energy on some needed outside chores, but since it had rained all day we ended up moving newly delivered bunk beds upstairs and put them together for an upcoming camp.

So after lunch and a few introductions, we got to it and worked hard. It was hot muggy work, but the team cooperated well, got the job done in a fine style to the appreciative cheers of the camp workers.

The last order of the day was to turn our muscles into jelly at the onsen and then off to bed for a day well lived to the Lord, by his power and might.

Our devotional for this morning came from Matthew 20:1-28, which talks about the first will be last and the last will be first, and that the greatest among us must be a servant of all.

Matt playing with “Nono,” one of the twin daughters of the camp director

By God’s wonderful grace, he has given us an awesome opportunity to serve the Japanese and witness the ongoing work of God that this church has had a hand in over the years.

Jesus is the only one who gets to be first and greatest among us all, he is the only one that modeled true humility and service to all men. But by his grace, through faith, we get to participate in his inheritance and look forward to his generous outpouring of blessing in heaven for our meager efforts. We have a wonderful God!

Thanks for praying for us! It has been a blast so far, and we are looking forward to what God has in store for us tomorrow. Keep praying; God will keep working, and we’ll keep learning!

This post was originally written at July 24 at 10:57 pm at Camp Kinshuko in Nishiwaga, Japan. More pictures of Kinshuko will be posted tomorrow.